|| eight ☯ accidental video / action

[captaininnuendo]

[The feed opens to show Jack, obviously in a bar setting. But instead of his usual attempts to liven up the place, he's sitting in the farthest corner of the bar, the music blaring around him and both an empty glass of beer and a freshly filled one in front of him. He's very subdued for those who actually know how he is on most days. It's dimly lit so it's difficult to see, but his eyes are a little bit swollen, his cheeks a little damp. It's obvious he's not having a good day. And despite his attempts to hide away and wait it out, the City has a different plan as he doesn't know the video came on for all to see him in his melancholy.]




ooc: Jack's first curse in the City and I'm so cruel to him! Daddy Dearest curse, of course.

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[coyote_walking]

[She'd hesitated before saying anything, but her Jack or not, she knew the signs well enough to know how much he was hurting.]

Jack?

You okay?

[captaininnuendo]

[Jack stirs at the sound of his voice, drawing a deep breath like he's suddenly resurfaced from an ocean of thoughts. First he looks around the bar where he's seated, then down to his device, where yep, there's Mercy.

He forces a small smile.] Mercy Thompson. I'm just... fine, you know? Enjoying some alone time. [Alone time with the family, you know. The family who's been dead for thousands of years according to Jack.] How are you?

[coyote_walking]

[Mercy shrugged, but there was concern and empathy in her face and voice.]

Hanging in. Just saw...

You looked a little...

[How to say what she wanted, but both spare his feelings and prevent him from shutting her down with some glib answer?]

...Cursed, I guess.

They can be rough.

[captaininnuendo]

[He's very much relieved for the concern and empathy right now. Conversations with Mercy have always been hit or miss as far as her mood. He understands why now, of course. But at the moment, he wouldn't have known how to deal with her upset, however justified it may be. Of course, he isn't much better at dealing with people worrying about him, but it is easier in some ways... especially today. He offers her a grateful look, a thankful nod and he purses his lips and takes in a deep breath. Maybe if she's having a good day he can let his guard down just a tiny smidgen.]

Yeah, I'm guessing that's what this is... seeing people long gone. Rough is an excellent way to describe it. You're not seeing dead people too, are you?

[coyote_walking]

[She nodded.]

I'm sorry.

]She knew a little about his past, enough to understand how hard this must be. Not that she was going to tell him she knew anything about it.]

No dead people for me, though I can see ghosts ordinarily anyway. But in this case, from what I can tell, it seems to mostly be fathers and I never knew mine.

[captaininnuendo]

[Thank goodness, something else to focus on. Jack arches a brow, tilting his head curiously at the image of Mercy in the video feed.]

You see ghosts? Tell me about that.

[coyote_walking]

[She shrugged.]

It's just something I've always done. Sometimes I don't even know it's a ghost I'm talking to until someone asks me who I'm talking to.

They're all over the place.

[captaininnuendo]

That's an interesting talent to have, Mercedes Thompson. You know that would come in handy when trying to solve murder investigations and the like. We used to have this glove that would bring people back so we could ask them questions. The problem was there was a time limit. But if you could see their ghosts, well then... the possibilities are endless.

[coyote_walking]

It depends on the type of the ghost. Some can talk to you, some walk through the moment of their death over and over, some do the same things they did when they were alive...

And not every death makes a ghost.

But if you ever needed my help, I'd be glad to try.

[captaininnuendo]

While this place certainly doesn’t want for the strange and interesting, I haven’t really had a reason to do anything I used to do, Torchwood-wise. No, I had moved on. But your offer is a very sweet one, Mercy. Thank you.

It’s always been curious to me how some people are so intuitive to a power like this or similar. It speaks a lot to your strength of mind, you know.

[coyote_walking]

Sweet is not generally a word I expect to hear applied to me.

And I don't think it has anything to do with strength of mind. It's just a part of what I am.

Oh.

I forgot.

You... don't know about me.

[captaininnuendo]

Well you did offer to help and that is sweet. And no, I don’t know about you. But you could tell me.

[coyote_walking]

Helpful. Thoughtful. Kind. But sweet?

Anyway.

I'm a walker. I shift into a coyote. Comes with some perks like speed, enhanced hearing and smell, some immunity to some types of magic - generally only the minor annoyance kind, the dangerous stuff works just fine on me - and an ability to see ghosts.

[So... Is she serious or joking?]